A short story defining the stages of love.
Inara Khan was petulant: stubborn, short-tempered, blunt, and a middle child. She had her life planned until she stumbled on a betrayal by one she had never considered a possibility from.
Life threw a cur...
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It was drastic. The change in her mood and the air around them.
His wife was having a gala time in her maternal home, skipping her steps to run around the place she had known for the past 24 years of her existence. She was happy to be back here, anyone could have a look at her and could tell, the girl was brimming with smiles and joy.
She had met and laughed around her family as if inserting back into her home. It was her voice, her footsteps, and her laughter that resonated around the place.
Until now.
She had gone still. Her smile evaporated as if never present in the first place. While she stood rim rod straight, her fingers were shaking and that swallow of lump had him worried.
"Ina..." He was ready to call her when he heard the name.
"Iram, Come in."
His wife flinched in the smallest actions as if her soul was slapped. He watched her eyes turn hollow and lose the stories she had narrated him for the better part of their marriage, and Inara was full of words and stories to say rather.
Farish stood and he followed.
While his father-in-law went towards his other daughter to greet her, Rahil ran to her side. His fingers pressed into her arm with an ephemeral touch that didn't fulfill their purpose. Standing behind her to hold on, he called her name softly. Conflicted on how he was to treat this version of his wife.
She had been complaining, angry, whining, pestering, laughing, and most of the time a mischief maker. Never hollow.
He would rather face anything but not this side of her.
"Inara." He called her a little loudly, leaning closer to her to hold more of her. He felt her shiver for a second before she closed her eyes.
"How are you, Appi?" Iram stood infront of her and Inara's daze snapped in two.
So as her resolve.
"R...rahil, chalo..." She said in a broken whisper.
"Ini..."
"Chaliye yha se..." This time she was rather firm as she cut him off. Holding his shirt sleeve, she faced him while her eyes strayed away from her sister. "I don't want to be here, please take me away."
Her whispers killed something in him. His palm cupped her shoulder as she stuck more to his chest in order to get away from Iram.
"Why are you being like this, Inara? At least talk to me." Iram came closer and Inara turned her back to her. Face buried against him and his arm came around her protectively.
"Stop there." Rahil's command halted Iram in her place.
"Please...Chalo yha se...Mujhe nahi rehna yaha..." His arms tightened around her firmly, holding her closer if possible. "Rahil..."
